Automatic tip bunch building mechanism for spinning frames



Oct. 23, 1962 H. R. KENNEDY ET AL 3,059,407

AUTOMATIC TIP BUNCH BUILDING MECHANISM FOR SPINNING FRAMES FIG. l.

INVENTORS CHARLES J. ANDERSEN COY v. JONESfiR HARRY R.KENNEDY ATTORNEY Oct. 23, 1962 H. R. KENNEDY ET AL 3,059,407

AUTOMATIC TIP BUNCH BUILDING MECHANISM FOR SPINNING FRAMES Filed Sept. 11, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 F162. FIG. 5.

FlG-5- )y! x/mfl 1,2

I U) so 671 I 67-- as 82 86 83/ 65 i CHARLES a. ANDERSEN COY V. JONES, SR. HARRY R. KENNEDY ATTORNEY 3, 1962 H. R. KENNEDY Em 3,059,407

AUTOMATIC TIP BUNCH BUILDING MECHANISM FOR SPINNING FRAMES 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 11, 1961 L02 c 9 o, a FIG.8. 93

iiHHiii I-o-I FIG. 9. INVENTORS CHARLES J.ANDERSEN COY V. JONES,3R. HARRY R. YCENNEDY BY fi- F Z WM.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,059,467 AUTGMATIC Til BUNCH MECHA- NISM FER SPENNING FRAMES Harry R. Kennedy, Charies .l. Andersen, and Coy V. Jones, S12, Greenville, 5.13., assignors to Southern Ma'- chinery ompany, Greenville, SAL, a corporation of South Carolina Filed Sept. 11, 1961, Ser. No. 137,102 12 Claims. (Ql. 5754) This invention relates to yarn spinning frames, and more particularly to improved simplified means for applying a tip bunch to the ends of bobbins having filling wound thereon during spinning in a ring or other spinning frame.

The present invention constitutes an improvement in and a simplification of the bunch building mechanism shown in United States Patent 2,979,881 to H. N. Thibault et al.

A further object of the invention is to provide bunch building means for spinning frames which may be utilized in connection with a filling wind, warp wind or combination wind.

Another object is to provide means of the above-mentioned character which may be installed directly in the builder motion flexible chain or cable without any modification whatsoever of the builder motion or spinning frame structure.

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide a tip bunch building mechanism in the nature of a small compact automatically operating unit which is connected directly into the chain or cable of the builder motion and which, upon actuation, provides a sudden lengthening of the chain or cable to allow the ring rail to shift upwardly automatically to the tip bunch applying station.

Another object is to provide a unit of the mentioned character which is capable of automatically resetting itself after the application of the tip bunch to the ends of the bobbins and when the ring rail is lowered toward the bobbin doffing position either manually or under the influence of automatic ring rail lowering mechanism.

In the mentioned patent to Thibault et al., manually operated means including a hand lever and a rather complex linkage is installed upon the fixed spindle rail of the spinning frame and connected with the rockable quadrant of the builder motion in such a way that actuation of the hand lever and linkage at the proper time to develop slack in or relax the builder motion chain or cable, thereby causing the ring rail to elevate to the tip bunch applying position. This manual operation of the hand lever and linkage in the Thibault et al. patent and the lever and linkage themselves are dispensed with entirely, according to the present invention, and their functions and purposes are satisfied automatically by the very simple and compact automatic device connected directly in the builder motion chain or cable. Bunch building mechanisms are broadly old in the art and generally quite complex and do not lend themselves to application on existing spinning frames or builder motions without extensive modification of existing structures. According to the Thibault et al. patent, the need for a bunch building mechanism which could be applied to an existing spinning frame without extensive modification thereof was broadly satisfied, but the attachment was manual and rather complex, as stated. The present invention provides fully automatic and highly simplified and compact means for accomplishing the purposes above enumerated without any alteration of existing structures and by the mere placement of a small self-contained unit in the builder motion chain or cable.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

3,59,4fi7 Patented Oct. 23, 1962 In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of the invention as ap plied to a spinning frame, parts broken away and parts in 'section, 7

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged central vertical longitudinal section, partly in elevation, of the attachment unit constituting the heart of the invention,

FIGURE 3 is a transverse vertical section taken on line 33 of FIGURE 2,

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view similar to FIGURE 2 showing the attachment unit in a released position for lengthening the builder motion chain or cable,

FIGURE 5 is a similar sectional view showing a modified type of attachment unit according to the invention,

FIGURE 6 is a vertical section taken on line 6--6 of FIGURE 5,

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary side elevation of further modified means used in conjunction with the builder motion chain for effecting the formation of the tip bunch at the desired moment,

FIGURE 8 is a vertical section partly in elevation taken on line 88 of FIGURE 7,

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary side elevation of still another modified form of the invention.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration are shown preferred embodiments of the invention, attention is directed first to FIGURES 1-4 inclusive, wherein a preferred form is illustrated.

FIGURE 1 shows the spinning frame and elements of the builder motion generally and this FIGURE corresponds broadly to FIGURE 1 of the mentioned Thibault et al. patent, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

'In FIGURE 1, a portion of the left-hand side of a spinning frame is shown, which frame includes a vertical frame member 11 having a well-known builder motion generally designated at 12 supported therefrom. The spinning frame includes the usual fixed horizontally extending spindle rail including lower and upper supporting members l3 and 14 and the usual vertically reciprocatory ring rail 15, well-known to the prior art and shown in the Thibault et al. patent. A depending bracket 16 is mounted upon the bottom of the member 13 and has a stud 17 rotatably mounted at its lower end. This stud has fixed thereon a lifting arm 18 extending in one direction, a counterbalancing weight 19 extending in the opposite direction, and a lever arm 20 intermediate these elements extending upwardly in a generally vertical direction. A vertical support rod 21 is secured at its upper end to the ring rail 15 and rests upon a roller member 22 fixed on the lifting arm 18. A portion of the lifting arm extends outwardly to form the usual foot pedal 23 which may be employed at the proper time to lower the ring rail as when automatic ring rail lowering means are not employed. However, it should be mentioned here that the simplified automatic bunch building mechanism of the present invention is particularly well adapted for use in conjunction with automatic electrically operated ring rail lowering means. When such means are used to lower the ring rail to the doffing position after application of the tip bunch, the foot pedal means 23 is not required and may be dispensed with entirely.

Spindles 24 are mounted for rotation upon the spindle rail and are adapted to have bobbins 25 applied over them in the usual manner. The apparatus thus far described is conventional and is shown in the Thibault et al. patent.

With continued reference to FIGURE 1, a bracket 26 is fixed to the arm 20 as at 27. An arcuate quadrant 28 is pivotally mounted from the lower right side of the bracket 26 at 29. A flexible connecting means 30 which may comprise a steel cable, as shown, or a chain, has one end thereof connected to an extension 31 on the outer face of the quadrant 28 and has its other end connected to a filling cam actuated member 32 on the builder motion 12 in a known manner.

The spinning frame, as a whole, and the builder motion 12 and associated elements above-described, operate in the usual and conventional manner as taught by the Thibault et al. patent to spin the yarn and wind it upon the bobbins 25. The vertical traverse of the ring rail 15 is achieved through the action of a filling cam forming a part of the builder motion and which exerts a force in a vertical direction downwardly upon a cam follower connected to the flexible element 39 at 32 as previously described. The other end of the element 3% is connected with the quadrant 28 as described. As the filling cam exerts its force in the downward direction upon the follower, the cable or chain 30 through the quadrant 28 overcomes the counterbalancing weights 19 to move the oppositely extending lifting arm 18 downwardly, thereby permitting the ring rail 15 to be lowered. As the filling cam tends to relieve its pressure on the follower, the weights 19 drop to take up the slack in the element 30' and move the lifting arm 18 upwardly to raise the ring rail 15. In this manner,

the ring'rail is traversed vertically with respect to the bobbins to direct the yarn thereon in a well-know prescribed manner until the body portions of the bobbins are filled with yarn to the desired predetermined extent under control of the builder motion 12. All of this is common to the prior art and disclosed in the Thibault et al. patent.

According to the present invention, additional means is provided for automatically divorcing control of the weights 19 and associated elements from the builder motion 12. This permits the counterbalancing weights to instantly raise the ring rail 15 to the tip bunch building position shown in broken lines at the top of FIGURE 1 and which position is limitedrby a preset stop means to be described. In the Thibault et al. patent, this objective is broadly accomplished by a manually operated lever and associated mechanical linkage and the mechanism is not automatic. According to the attachment unit of the present invention now to be described, this objective is accomplished automatically by electrically operated and highly simplified compact means in the nature of an attachment unit connected directly in the flexible element a 30, and all of the manually operated lever and linkage means of 'fhibault et al. is dispensed with. Additionally, the automatic unit of the present invention may be tied in electrically with automatic ring rail lowering means all under control of a master timer and controlling limit switches on the spinning frame.

With continued reference to the drawings, the tip bunch building mechanism according to this invention comprises ina'preferred embodiment thereof a solenoid operated reciprocatory sliding latch unit 33 connected bodily in the cable or chain as shown in FIGURE 1 and as shown in full detail in FIGURES 2-4. The unit 33 embodies a horizontally disposed casing 34 having a main chamber 35 provided at one end with aremovable cover plate 36 having an integral clevis element 37 for connection at 38 with the cable 3% or chain. A latch pin 39 is disposed within the casing 34 for reciprocation and includes a cylindrical shank 4t! siidable Within a bearing part 41 of the casing 34 and provided at its outer end with a clevis element 42, connected at 43 to the cable 39, as shown. The latch pin 39 has an intermediate tapered undercut por-. tion 44 forming a locking shoulder 45 for coaction with a vertically reciprocating locking yoke 46 having an opening 47 engageable with the undercut portion 44 and adapted to bear upon the shoulder 45 as shown in FIG- URES 2 and 3. The locking yoke 46 is adapted to reciprocate at right angles to the pin or plunger 39 under influence of a push type electrical solenoid 48 having an armature 'pin 49 engaging the bottom of locking yoke 46. The solenoid 48 is fixedly secured as at St) to the bottom gage the shoulder 45 therefrom.

of the casing 34 and is adapted for connection electrically in control and timing circuit means of conventional character and not shown herein. The yoke 46 has a top pilot or guide pin 51 reciprocable in a guide opening 52 in the top of casing 34 and urged downwardly constantly by a leaf spring 53 secured upon the top of the casing 34. Thus, when the push type solenoid 48 is energized, the yoke 46 is elevated by the armature pin 49 against the action of the spring 53 to release or unlock the pin 39. When the solenoid is de-energized, the leaf spring 53 returns the yoke 46 and armature pin 49 to the lowered locking position.

Surrounding the body portion of pin or plunger 39 within the chamber 35 is a compressible coil spring 54 having one end secured at 55 to the pin 39 and its other end bearing against the end wall 56 of chamber 35. The spring 54 constantly urges locking pin 39 to the right, FIGURE 2., or toward the latched position thereof within the housing 34. The spring 54, however, is yieldable to permit relative movement of the locking pin 39 and casing 34 extensibly and separation of the clevis elements 37 and 42 when the solenoid 48 is energized and tension is upon the cable 30, as will be further explained.

When the ring rail 15, FiGURE 1, has reached the point of building full bobbins and is at the elevated posi tion shown in full lines in FIGURE 1, it will engage and actuate a switch 57 located upon the head end of the spinning frame and thereby energize electrical control and timing mechanism of conventional character, not shown. The timing mechanism will send a current to the solenoid 48 of unit 33 and energize the same and the armature pin 49 will then lift the locking yoke 46 and disen- Instantly, the tension in the cable 36 will cause extension of the pin 39 relative to the casing 34 or separation of the clevis elements 37 and 42, and the cable 3'9 Will in effect be lengthened. This lengthening of the cable 30 or chain will cause the ring rail 15 to jump up to the tip bunch forming position shown in broken lines in FIGURE 1, where the top bunch 58 is applied to the tip of each bobbin in the required manner and for purposes well-known to those skilled in the art. In order to limit and restrict the increased movement of the ring rail after release thereof by the unit 33, regardless of the length and extent of movement of the locking pin 39, a simple cable 59 with a predetermined degree of slack has its ends connected at 60 and 61 to the fixed spindle rail 14- and the arm of quadrant 28 respectively. When the additional movement of the quadrant 28 in the clockwise direction, FIGURE 1, under in liuence of Weight 19 thus takes place, due to extension of the unit 33, the cable 59 will become taut between the spindle rail and quadrant to thereby positively limit and control the upward movement of the ring rail 15 to the tip bunch applying position. In other Words, the cable 59 is a positive stop element to regulate the extra upward movement of the ring rail as provided for by tne automatic latch unit 33.

During the regular building of the yarn upon the body of the bobbin 25, the weight of the ring rail 15 is transmitted through the various rods 21 and through the unit 33 and flexible element 30 to the builder motion 12. When the unit 33 is released or extended, as described, the weight of the ring rail 15 is what pulls the pin or plunger 39 out from the casing 34 to thereby lengthen the element 30 and build the tip bunch on the bobbin, as described. The conventional control and timing mechanism is in operation and simultaneously with the extension of the unit 33 may set into operation an automatic ring rail lowering device, not shOWn herein, which returnsthe ring rail to the lowermost full bobbin dotting position. Also, the control and timing means is now operating to disconnect the power to the spinning frame motor. As soon as the automatic ring rail lowering device takes over control of the ring rail 15, the weight or pressure of the ring rail is relieved between the builder motion 12 and the latch unit 33, and therefore, the spring 54 of unit 33 will retract the locking pin 39 to the normal position shown in FIGURE 2 so that the unit 33 is reset or latched prior to the next cycle of operation of the spinning frame for building the bobbins. The same resetting automatically of the unit 33 may take place, if preferred, by manual lowering of the ring rail 15 by use of the foot pedal extension 23, if preferred, and this will allow the spring 54 to automatically retract the locking pin 39 as the pressure of the ring rail is taken off of the cable 30 and unit 33. However, the electrical nature of the unit 33 makes it highly desirable to employ such unit in conjunction with automatic electrical control means for the spinning frame including properly cycled automatic ring rail lowering means.

It is thus apparent in connection with FIGURES 1 through 4 that the simplified automatic release unit 33 connected bodily in the cable 30 causes at the proper moment a lengthening of this cable and a corresponding automatic elevation of the ring rail to the tip bunch applying position, and upon subsequent lowering of the ring rail to the dofiing position, the unit 33 automatically retracts and takes up the slack in the cable 30 and the builder motion is again conditioned for regular bobbin building on the next cycle of operation of the spinning frame. The arrangement thus completely and automatically accomplishes the purposes and functions of the complex manual mechanical means of the Thibault et al. patent. The unit 33 is very small and compact and requires no alteration of the spinning frame or builder motion save the removal of several chain links or the cutting and separation of the cable 30.

FIGURES 5 and 6 show a modified form of the extensible unit to be connected in the cable 30 and designated generally at 62. The unit 62 serves the identical purpose as the previously-described unit 33 in the overall system. The unit 62 embodies a casing 63 having upper and lower chambers 64 and 65, a reduced bore 66 leading from one end of the chamber 64. A small cylindrical vertical bore or passageway 67 interconnects bore 66 with chamber 65 internally as shown. A lower extension 68 of small bore 67 serves as a lubricating passage and a lubricating fitting 69 is provided therein.

A reciprocatory plunger or pin 70 corresponding to the previously-described pin 39 is axially slidable in the bore 66 and extends into the chamber 64 and has a clevis element 71 on its outer end for direct connection with the cable 30. A removable end cap 72 on the other end of casing 63 carries a second clevis element 73 also connected with the cable exactly as in the prior form of the invention. The plunger 70 has a locking groove 74 within the bore 66 engageable by an upper ball detent 75, backed up by a movable cylindrical spacer plug 76 in the small bore 67. A compressible coil spring 77 surrounds the plunger 76 within the chamber 64 and has one end bearing against the end wall 78 of this chamber and its other end bearing against a fixed snap ring 79 or the like on the plunger 70. The spring 77 urges plunger 7 to the retracted or latched position shown in FIGURE as during the normal bobbin building cycle of the spinning frame and prior to the tip bunch forming operation. A stop collar 80 on the plunger 7 0 limits the return movement or retraction thereof positively.

Within the lower chamber 65 is a shiftable plunger 81 having a conically tapered portion 82 and a head 83, and this plunger is backed up by a compressible coil spring 84 within the chamber 65 which constantly urges the plunger 81 outwardly. A lower ball detent 85 in the small bore 67 is adapted to ride over the cylindrical portion of the plunger 31 as shown in FIGURE 5 and to enter the annular space surrounding the tapered portion 82 when the plunger 81 shifts to the right, FIGURE 5, and compresses the spring 8-4.

A push type solenoid 86 identical to the previouslydescribed solenoid 48 is secured at 87 to one end of the 6 casing 63 and includes a horizontally reciprocating armature pin 88 engaging the head 8-3 of plunger 81 to shift the latter against the spring 84 when energized. The spring 84- returns the plunger 81 and solenoid armature to the normal position shown in FIGURE 5 automatically when the solenoid is de-energized.

The mode of operation is substantially identical with that of the unit 33 in the first form of the invention. Briefly, when the ring rail 15 trips the switch 57 and energizes the solenoid 86, the armature 36 pushes the plunger 81 to the right, FIGURE 5, and the ball detent moves downwardly onto the tapered portion 82 which is now in registry with the small bore 67. The upper ball detent 75 simultaneously moves out of the groove 74 and the tension on the cable 30 causes the plunger 76 to extend or separate from the casing 63 to thereby place slack in the cable or lengthen the cable, in effect, so that the ring rail 15 will jump up to the tip bunch applying position. When the ring rail is lowered toward the doffing position automatically or manually and the load is taken off of the cable 30, the spring 77 relatches or resets the plunger 76 in the position shown in FIGURE 5, preparatory to the next regular cycle of operation of the spinning frame. As in the previous form of the invention, the stop cable 59 functions to positively limit the upward movement of the ring rail 15 at the tip bunch applying station.

FIGURES 7 and 8 show another modification of the invention, wherein a slightly modified form of quadrant 89 corresponds to the quadrant 28 shown in FIGURE 1. The quadrant 89 is pivoted at 90 for limited swinging movement upon the usual quadrant arm 91 corresponding to the arm 20 shown in FIGURE 1 for the first form of the invention. The arm 91 is as usual carried by the rock shaft 92 mounted in fixed bracket means, not shown, dependingly secured to the spindle rail. The builder motion chain 93 engages over the quadrant 89 and has its end secured thereto at 94. A retractile coil spring 95 has one end secured at 96 to the back of quadrant 89 and its other end secured at 97 to the side of arm 91. This spring constantly urges the quadrant in the clockwise direction, FIGURE 7, upon its pivot 91), acting against the tension in the chain 93 and serving to automatically return the quadrant to the locked position of FIGURE 7 after completion of the tip bunch building operation and during lowering of the ring rail.

A cable 98 of predetermined length has one end secured at 99 to the top of arm 91 and its opposite end, not shown, secured to the spindle rail 14 in the same manner as shown at 64) in FIGURE 1. Like the previously-described cable 59, the cable 98 positively limits the extent of overtravel of the ring rail 15 toward the tip bunch applying position when the chain 93 suddenly becomes lengthened in effect by the actuation of the solenoid means now to be described. A pull or retraction type solenoid is secured at 1111 to the arm 91 for movement bodily therewith and has an armature pin 102, normally extended through an opening 163 in the arm 91 and engaging within an arcuate locking groove 104 formed in the adjacent face of quadrant 89.

As in the prior forms of the invention, when the building of the bobbins 25 is completed and when the ring rail 15 is elevated to its uppermost normal position shown in full lines in FIGURE 1, the control switch 57 is operated to energize solenoid 1%, and this retracts the armature pin 102 from the locking slot 104 and releases the quadrant 89 for relative movement in the counterclockwise direction with respect to arm 91 and against the action of spring 95, FIGURE 7. This, in effect, places slack in the chain 93 which is equivalent to lengthening the chain and allows the ring rail 15 under influence of weights 19 to jump up to the tip bunch applying position. When the tip bunch has been applied and the manual or automatic means begins to lower the ring rail 15 toward the doffing position and the weight of the ring rail is taken off of the 93, the retractile spring 7 95 is then able to act for returning the quadrant 89 to the locked position shown in FIGURE 7, ready for the next cycle of operation. i

Thus, as in the prior forms of the invention, the simple provision of a solenoid operated latch unit efiects the desired automatic action for the tip bunch applying mechanism. The only diiference from the prior two forms of the invention is that the solenoid latch means is applied directly to the quadrant arm 91 instead of being connected directly in the builder motion chain or cable.

In FIGURE 9, still another modification is illustrated, wherein the builder motion chain manipulating unit 105 is mounted directly at 1% upon the spindle rail 14. The builder motion chain 107 is connected in the usual manner to the quadrant 168, carried by quadrant arm 109 on rock shaft 110.

The unit 1435 includes a vertically disposed mounting plate 111 as indicated, upon which is fixedly secured a pull-type solenoid 112, having an armature pin 11 3 carrying an adjustable collar 114. A bell crank 115 is journaled at 116 within a bearing bracket 117 upon the plate 111 and has a roller 118 upon its uppefextremity engaging the chain 107, as shown.

As in the prior embodiments of the invention, the parts are positioned as in FIGURE 9 during the normal building of the bobbins, and the effective length of the chain 107 is controlled by the solenoid operated bell crank 115. When the ring rail 15' actuates the control switch 57, the solenoid 112 is energized and the pin 113 shifts axially to the right in FIGURE 9 allowing the bell crank 115 to turn counterclockwise on its pivot 116 and release the chain 107, thereby increasing its efiective length. The ring rail then jumps up to the tip bunch applying position and upon completion of this operation and during lowering of the ring rail and when the weight of the ring rail is thus removed from the chain 107, a return spring for the pin 113, not shown, within the solenoid 112 retracts the same and returns the bell crank to its positron shown in FIGURE 9 and locks it in this position until the solenoid is again energized.

Although not shown in the drawings, it is also contemplated within the scope of the invention to provide means generally similar to the solenoid operated latch means in FIGURES 7 and 8 to allow slippage at the desired time of the builder motion pulley P shown in FIGURE 1 to develop slack in the builder motion chain or cable 30. The purpose and function of such an arrangement is substantially the same as described and shown in connection with FIGURES 7 and 8.

It is to be understood that the forms of the invention herewith shown and described are to be taken as preferred examples of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described the invention, we claim:

1. In a spinning machine of the class wherein a builder motion advances a flexible element over guide means to allow rocking of a quadrant connected with the flexible element under influence of a weight connected with the quadrant for elevating a ring rail having support means operated by the quadrant to a full bobbin posi-' tion, the combination with said ring rail of an electrically operated extension latch uni-t connected directly in said flexible element and being normally retracted, and switch means operated by the ring rail near the full bobbin position thereof to energize said unit to cause extension of the same and lengthening of the flexible element so that the ring rail will jump upwardly to a position for applying a tip bunch to the tip of a bobbin.

2. Tip bunch applying mechanism for spinning -frames comprising in combination, a builder motion, a flexible element operated by the builder motion, a quadrant connected with the flexible element and having its motion controlled there-by and being rockably supported upon the spinning frame, gravity operated means connected with the quadrant to urge the same in one direction, an elevatable ring rail, lift mechanism interconnecting the ring rail and quadrant, and means connected directly within the flexible element and operable in response to the ring rail reaching the top of its normal travel to lengthen the flexible element and thereby enable the ring rail to shift up to a tip bunch applying position.

3. Tip bunch building mechanism for spinning frames comprising a builder motion, an elevatable ring rail, quadrant means carrying the ring rail and operated by said builder motion and including a flexible element connected to the builder motion, and electrically operated extensible and retractable means connected in the flexible element to lengthen the latter when the ring rail reaches the top of its normal travel, thereby allowing the ring rail to move up to the tip bunch building position.

4. In a spinning machine, a bobbin builder motion, an elevatable ring rail, mechanism carrying said ring rail and operable to raise and lower it and including a rockable quadrant and a flexible clement interconnecting the quadrant and builder motion, an expansible latch unit connected directly in the flexible element, solenoid means connected with said latch unit and operable to release the same for effecting a lengthening of the flexible element when the ring rail is elevated, and switch means operated by the ring rail at the top of its normal travel and electric-ally connected with the solenoid to energize the same.

5. In a spinning machine, an elevatable ring rail to direct yarn upon a plurality of bobbins during raising and lowering thereof, bobbin builder means including a flexible element connected with the ring rail and controlling =the raising and lowering of the ring rail, and solenoid operated releasable latch means connected with said builder means and operable when the ring rail reaches a full bobbin position to allow slack in the flexible element for increasing its effective length, thereby releasing the ring rail for movement to a tip bunch applying position.

6. In tip bunch building mechanism for spinning frames having a ring rail and a builder motion for controlling the traverse of the ring rail, said builder motion including a flexible element, an extensible latch unit secured directly in the flexible element and having a plunger, a spring urging said plunger to a retracted position for maintaining the flexible element at a normal length, and a solenoid operated latch device connected with said plunger and operable to release the plunger when the ring rail is near the top of its normal travel so that the weight of the ring rail causes extension of the plunger and lengthening of the flexible element, the ring rail then shifting up to the tip bunch building position automatically.

7. In a spinning machine, a builder motion, a ring rail under control of the builder motion, the builder motion including a flexible element, an extensible latch unit connected directly in the flexible element and having a longitudinal plunger provided with a locking recess, a spring connected with the plunger to hold the same in a retracted position, a locking yoke shiftable transversely of the plunger and releasably engageable within said recws, resilient means holding said yoke Within said recess, and solenoid means for shifting said yoke transversely of the plunger to disengage the same from said recess, whereby the tension in said flexible element may cause extension of the plunger and lengthening of the flexible element.

8. An attachment unit for spinningmachines of the type having an elevatable ring rail and a builder motion controlling the movement of the ring rail, said unit comprising a solenoid operated latch device connected with the builder motion and operable when energized to momentarily increase the eifective length of the builder motion flexible element to permit shifting of the ring rail to the tip bunch applying position, and electrical means enl I 9 gaged by the ring rail when the same is elevated for energizing said solenoid operated latch device.

9. In a spinning machine, a builder motion including a Iockable quadrant arm, a quadrant pivoted upon said arm, a flexible element engagiry said quadrant and secured thereto and tending to turn the quadrant in one direction, resilient means resisting movement of the quadrant in said one direction, and a solenoid operated latch means interconnecting said arm and quadrant and adapted when energized to release the quadrant for turning in said one direction and thereby providing increased slack in said flexible element.

10. In a spinning machine, a builder motion, an elevatable ring rail under control of the builder motion, a rockable quadrant, a flexible element interconnecting the builder motion and quadrant, a pivoted element on said spinning frame normally engaging the flexible element to maintain the same taut, a solenoid device connected with the pivoted element to rock the same when energized for releasing the slack in the flexible element and increasing the effective length thereof, and switch means on the spinning frame to be engaged by the ring rail for energizing said solenoid device.

11. In a spinning machine, an elevatable ring rail, a builder motion controlling the operation of the ring rail for applying yarn to the bobbins and including a flexible element, an extensible unit secured directly within the flexible element and having a plunger provided with a locking recess, a spring connected with the plunger tending to retract the same, a detent element movable transversely of the plunger to releasably secure it in the retracted position, a second plunger operating substantially parallel to the first plunger and having a recess adapted to receive said detent element, a spring resisting movement of the second plunger in one direction, and solenoid means operable in response to elevation of the ring rail for shifting the second plunger in a direction whereby the detent element moves into the recess of the second plunger and out of the recess of the first plunger to allow extension of the latter and effective lengthening of the flexible element so that the ring rail may shift up to a tip bunch applying position.

12. In a spinning machine, a fixed spindle rail, a ring rail to be raised and lowered relative to the spindle rail, a builder motion, rockable lever means connected with the ring rail and carrying the same and including a counterbalancing Weight capable of elevating the ring rail under the influence of gravity, a quadrant connected with said lever means, a flexible element engaging said quadrant and interconnecting it with the builder motion, an electrically operated extensible device secured directly within the flexible element to eflect lengthening thereof when the ring rail is elevated, switch means engaged by the elevated ring rail for energizing said electrical device, and stop means connected with the quadrant to limit the movement thereof facilitated by lengthening of the flexible element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

